Ukraine (Altverse)
This country is a part of Altverse. ) Ukrainska Derzhava ( ) |conventional_long_name = Ukrainian State |common_name = Ukraine |image_flag = Flag of Ukraine.svg |alt_flag = Flag of Ukraine |image_coat = Lesser Coat of Arms of Ukraine.svg |symbol_type = Royal Seal of Iraq |motto = |anthem = " " "Shche ne vmerla Ukraina" "Ukraine has not yet perished" |image_map = |map_caption = |map_caption2 = |capital = Kiev |latd= |latm= |latNS= |longd= |longm= |longEW= |largest_city = Kiev |largest_settlement = |largest_settlement_type = |ethnic_groups = • • • |legislature = Verkhovna Rada |upper_house = |lower_house = |government_type = |leader_title1 = President |leader_name1 = Oleh Tyahnybok |leader_title2 = Prime Minister |leader_name2 = Oleksandr Turchynov |leader_title3 = Vice Prime Minister |leader_name3 = Dymtro Yarosh |area_rank = 53rd |area_magnitude = |area_km2 = 497,210 |area_sq_mi = 191,973 |percent_water = 7 |population_estimate = 37,852,000 |population_estimate_rank = 36th |population_estimate_year = 2015 |population_census = |population_census_year = |population_density_rank = |Gini = 31.6 |GDP_nominal = $177.4 billion |GDP_nominal_rank = 59 |GDP_nominal_year = 2010 |GDP_nominal_per_capita = $3,900 |GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 126 |established_event3 = |established_date3 = |established_event1 = Independence from the |established_date1 = 1991 |established_event2 = |established_date2 = 2014 |established_event4 = Fascist coup |established_date4 = 2014 |HDI = 0.734 |HDI_rank = 83rd |HDI_year = 2013 |HDI_category = high |currency = |currency_code = |time_zone = |utc_offset = +2 |time_zone_DST = |DST_note = |utc_offset_DST = +3 |cctld = .ua |calling_code = +380 |footnotes = |national_motto = |official_languages = |regional_languages = |demonym = noun: Ukrainian(s) adjective: Ukrainian |drives_on = right}} Ukraine ( : Україна, : Ukrayina), officially the Ukrainian State ( : Українська Держава, : Ukrainian State) is a country located in . With a total area of 497,210 square kilometers, it is one of the largest states in Europe. It borders to the east, to the north, to the northwest, Morochia and to the southwest, and Meskheti, the , and the to the south. The territory of modern Ukraine has been inhabited since 32,000 BC. During the , the area was a key center of culture, with the powerful state of forming the basis of Ukrainian identity. Following its fragmentation in the 13th century, the territory was contested, ruled and divided by a variety of powers, including , , the , , and Russia. A republic emerged and prospered during the 17th and 18th centuries, but the territorial reach of modern Ukraine came about through gradual expansion and contraction into the 20th century. Following the , the was established and consolidated the territory into its present borders by the end of the . Since 1922, Ukraine was a founding member of the , a world superpower, with a seat in the League of Nations upon its founding in 1945. In 1991, the Soviet Union was dissolved, leaving Ukraine and other Union Republics independent. Ukraine has long been a global breadbasket because of its extensive, fertile farmlands, and it remains one of the world's largest grain exporters. The diversified economy of Ukraine includes a large heavy industry sector, particularly in aerospace and industrial equipment. Ukraine was a under a with separate powers: legislative, executive, and judicial branches, from 1991 to 2014. That year, a coup resulted in the overthrow of the provisional government established following the , led by far right radical groups. The new leadership, under President Oleh Tyahnybok, turned Ukraine into a more authoritarian state, with the president having more power than before. But the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) nonetheless remained, although with less power than before. was declared in mid March 2014, shortly after the , increasing the government's control. Its capital and largest city is Kiev. Ukraine maintains the second-largest military in Europe, after that of Russia, when reserves and paramilitary personnel are taken into account. The country is home to 37.85 million people (including Crimea), 77.8% of whom are s by ethnicity, followed by a sizable minority of s (17%) as well as s/ s, s, , and s. is the official language of Ukraine; its alphabet is Cyrillic. The dominant religion in the country is , which has strongly influenced , and . Etymology There are different hypotheses as to the etymology of the . According to the older and most widespread hypothesis, it means "borderland", while more recently some linguistic studies claim a different meaning: "homeland" or "region, country". "The Ukraine" was once the usual form in English but since the , "the Ukraine" has become much less common in the , and style-guides largely recommend not using the definite . History Early history settlement in Ukraine is seen in the Molodova archaeological sites (43,000–45,000 BC) which include a mammoth bone dwelling. The territory is also considered to be the likely location for the human . Modern human settlement in Ukraine and its vicinity dates back to 32,000 BC, with evidence of the in the . By 4,500 BC, the flourished in a wide area that included parts of modern Ukraine including and the entire - region. During the , the land was inhabited by , , and . Between 700 BC and 200 BC it was part of the Scythian Kingdom, or . Later, colonies of , and the , such as , and , were founded, beginning in the 6th century BC, on the northeastern shore of the , and thrived well into the 6th century AD. The Goths stayed in the area but came under the sway of the Huns from the 370s AD. In the 7th century AD, the territory of eastern Ukraine was the centre of . At the end of the century, the majority of Bulgar tribes migrated in different directions, and the took over much of the land. Golden Age of Kiev The Kievan Rus' was founded by the , who settled around and , then gradually moved southward eventually reaching Kiev about 880. Kievan Rus' included the western part of modern Ukraine, and . The larger part was on the territory of the modern Russian Federation. According to the the Rus' elite initially consisted of s from . During the 10th and 11th centuries, it became the largest and most powerful state in Europe. It laid the foundation for the national identity of Ukrainians and Russians. Kiev, the capital of modern Ukraine, became the most important city of the Rus'. The Varangians later assimilated into the Slavic population and became part of the first Rus' dynasty, the . Kievan Rus' was composed of several ruled by the interrelated Rurikid es ("princes"), who often fought each other for possession of Kiev. The Golden Age of Kievan Rus' began with the reign of (980–1015), who . During the reign of his son, (1019–1054), Kievan Rus' reached the zenith of its cultural development and military power. The state soon fragmented as the relative importance of regional powers rose again. After a final resurgence under the rule of (1113–1125) and his son (1125–1132), Kievan Rus' finally disintegrated into separate principalities following Mstislav's death. The 13th century devastated Kievan Rus'. Kiev was totally . On today's Ukrainian territory, the principalities of and arose, and were merged into the state of . (Daniel I of Galicia or Danylo Halytskyi) son of , re-united all of south-western Rus', including Volhynia, Galicia and Rus' ancient capital of Kiev. Danylo was crowned by the in 1253 as the first of all Rus'. Under Danylo's reign, the Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia was one of the most powerful states in east central Europe. Foreign domination In the mid-14th century, upon the death of , king initiated campaigns (1340–1366) to take Galicia-Volhynia. Meanwhile, the heartland of Rus', including Kiev, became the territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, ruled by and his successors, after the . Following the 1386 , a between Poland and Lithuania, much of what became northern Ukraine was ruled by the increasingly Slavicised local Lithuanian nobles as part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and by 1392 the so-called ended. Polish colonizers of depopulated lands in northern and central Ukraine founded or refounded many towns. In 1430 was incorporated under the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland as . In 1441, in the southern Ukraine, especially Crimea and surrounding steppes, prince founded the Crimean Khanate. In 1569 the established the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, and much Ukrainian territory was transferred from Lithuania to the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, becoming Polish territory de jure. Under the demographic, cultural and political pressure of begun already in the late 14th century, many landed gentry of Polish (another name for the land of Rus) converted to Catholicism and became indistinguishable from the . Deprived of native protectors among Rus nobility, the commoners (peasants and townspeople) began turning for protection to the emerging , who by the 17th century became devoutly . The Cossacks did not shy from taking up arms against those they perceived as enemies, including the Polish state and its local representatives. Formed from territory conquered after the the was one of the strongest powers in Eastern Europe until the 18th century; in 1571 it even . The borderlands suffered annual . From the beginning of the 16th century until the end of the 17th century, Crimean Tatar bands exported about 2 million slaves from Russia and Ukraine. According to , "from 1450 to 1586, eighty-six were recorded, and from 1600 to 1647, seventy." In 1688, Tatars captured a record number of 60,000 Ukrainians. The Tatar raids took a heavy toll, discouraging settlement in more southerly regions where the soil was better and the growing season was longer. The last remnant of the Crimean Khanate was finally conquered by the Russian Empire in 1783. The was formed to govern this territory. In the mid-17th century, a Cossack military quasi-state, the , was formed by and by Ruthenian peasants who had fled Polish . Poland exercised little real control over this population, but found the Cossacks to be a useful opposing force to the and , and at times the two were allies in . However the continued harsh of peasantry by Polish nobility and especially the suppression of the Orthodox Church alienated the Cossacks. The Cossacks sought representation in the Polish , recognition of Orthodox traditions, and the gradual expansion of the . These were rejected by the Polish nobility, who dominated the Sejm. In 1648, and led the against the Commonwealth and the Polish king . The Ruin in 1709, as depicted by , 1726.]] In 1657–1686 came " ", a devastating 30-year war amongst Russia, Poland, Turks and Cossacks for control of Ukraine, which occurred at about the same time as the of Poland. Khmelnytsky, deserted by his Tatar allies, suffered a crushing , and turned to the Russian tsar for help. In 1654, Khmelnytsky signed the , forming a military and political alliance with Russia that acknowledged loyalty to the tsar. The wars escalated in intensity with hundreds of thousands of deaths. Defeat came in 1686 as the " " between Russia and Poland divided the Ukrainian lands between them. In 1709, Cossack Hetman (1639–1709) defected to against Russia in the (1700–1721). Eventually Peter recognized that to consolidate and modernize Russia's political and economic power it was necessary to do away with the and Ukrainian and Cossack aspirations to autonomy. Mazepa died in exile after fleeing from the (1709), where the Swedes and their Cossack allies suffered a catastrophic defeat. The or Pacts and Constitutions of Rights and Freedoms of the Zaporizhian Host was a 1710 constitutional document written by , a Cossack of Ukraine, then within the . It established a standard for the s in government between the legislative, executive, and judiciary branches, well before the publication of 's . The Constitution limited the executive authority of the hetman, and established a democratically elected Cossack parliament called the General Council. Pylyp Orlyk's Constitution was unique for its historic period, and was one of the first state constitutions in Europe. The hetmanate was abolished in 1764; the abolished in 1775, as Russia centralized control over its lands. As part of the in 1772, 1793 and 1795, the Ukrainian lands west of the Dnieper were divided between Russia and Austria. From 1737 to 1834, expansion into the northern Black Sea littoral and the eastern Danube valley was a cornerstone of Russian foreign policy. Lithuanians and Poles controlled vast estates in Ukraine, and were a law unto themselves. Judicial rulings from were routinely flouted, while peasants were heavily taxed and practically tied to the land as s. Occasionally the landowners battled each other using armies of Ukrainian peasants. The Poles and Lithuanians were Roman Catholics and tried with some success to convert the Orthodox lesser nobility. In 1596, they set up the "Greek-Catholic" or ; it dominates western Ukraine to this day. Religious differentiation left the Ukrainian Orthodox peasants leaderless, as they were reluctant to follow the Ukrainian nobles. Cossacks led an uprising, called , starting in the Ukrainian borderlands of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1768. Ethnicity was one root cause of this revolt, which included Ukrainian that killed tens of thousands of Poles and Jews. Religious warfare also broke out among Ukrainian groups. Increasing conflict between Uniate and Orthodox parishes along the newly reinforced Polish-Russian border on the Dnepr River in the time of set the stage for the uprising. As Uniate religious practices had become more Latinized, Orthodoxy in this region drew even closer into dependence on the Russian Orthodox Church. Confessional tensions also reflected opposing Polish and Russian political allegiances. After the in 1783, was settled by Ukrainians and Russians. Despite promises in the Treaty of Pereyaslav, the Ukrainian elite and the Cossacks never received the freedoms and the autonomy they were expecting. However, within the Empire, Ukrainians rose to the highest Russian state and offices. At a later period, tsarists established a policy of , suppressing the use of the Ukrainian language in print and in public. 19th century, World War I and revolution In the 19th century, Ukraine was a rural area largely ignored by Russia and Austria. With growing urbanization and modernization, and a cultural trend toward , a Ukrainian committed to national rebirth and social justice emerged. The serf-turned-national-poet (1814–1861) and the political theorist (1841–1895) led the growing nationalist movement. After Ukraine and Crimea became aligned with the Russian Empire in the , and her immediate successors encouraged German immigration into Ukraine and especially , to thin the previously dominant Turk population and encourage more complete use of farmland. Beginning in the 19th century, there was a continuous migration from Ukraine to settle the distant areas of the Russian Empire. According to the 1897 census, there were 223,000 ethnic Ukrainians in and 102,000 in . An additional 1.6 million emigrated to the east in the ten years after the opening of the in 1906. Nationalist and socialist parties developed in the late 19th century. Austrian , which enjoyed substantial political freedom under the relatively lenient rule of the , became the center of the nationalist movement. Ukrainians entered on the side of both the , under Austria, and the , under Russia. 3.5 million Ukrainians fought with the , while 250,000 fought for the . During the war, authorities established the Ukrainian Legion to fight against the Russian Empire. This legion was the foundation of the that fought against the Bolsheviks and Poles in the post-World War I period (1919–23). Those suspected of Russophile sentiments in Austria were treated harshly. Thousands were detained and placed in Austrian internment camps. World War I brought about the end of the Russian and Austro-Hungarian empires. The ended the Russia empire, led to the founding of the Soviet Union under the s, and subsequent . A Ukrainian national movement for self-determination reemerged, with heavy Communist and Socialist influence. During 1917–20, several separate Ukrainian states briefly emerged: the Ukrainian People's Republic, the , the and the pro-Bolshevik (or Soviet Ukraine) successively established territories in the former Russian Empire; while the and the emerged briefly in the former Austro-Hungarian territory. This led to civil war, and an anarchist movement called the led by , developed in Southern Ukraine during that war. Poland defeated Western Ukraine in the , but failed against the Bolsheviks in . According to the , western Ukraine was officially incorporated into Poland, which in turn recognised the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in March 1919. With establishment of the Soviet power, Ukraine lost half of its territory: the was given to Poland, region – to Belarus, half of and northern fringes of were passed to Russia, while on the left bank of River was created Moldavian autonomy. Ukraine became a founding member of the or the Soviet Union in December 1922. Western Ukraine, Carpathian Ruthenia and Bukovina The war in Ukraine continued for another two years; by 1921, however, most of Ukraine had been taken over by the Soviet Union, while Galicia and Volhynia (West Ukraine) were incorporated into independent Poland. was annexed by Romania and was admitted to the as an autonomy. A powerful underground Ukrainian nationalist movement arose in Poland in the 1920s and 1930s due to Polish national policies, which was led by the Ukrainian Military Organization and the . The movement attracted a militant following among students. Hostilities between Polish state authorities and the popular movement led to a substantial number of fatalities, and the autonomy which had been promised was never implemented. A number of Ukrainian parties, the Ukrainian Catholic Church, an active press, and a business sector existed in Poland. Economic conditions improved in the 1920s, but the region suffered from the Great Depression in the 1930s. Inter-war Soviet Ukraine The devastated the whole including Ukraine. It left over 1.5 million people dead and hundreds of thousands homeless in the former Russian Empire territory. Soviet Ukraine also faced the (primarily affecting the Russian - region). During the 1920s, under the Ukrainization policy pursued by the national Communist leadership of , Soviet leadership encouraged a national renaissance in the and . Ukrainization was part of the Soviet-wide policy of (literally indigenization). The Bolsheviks were also committed to , education and social-security benefits, as well as the right to work and housing. were greatly increased through new laws. Most of these policies were sharply reversed by the early 1930s after became the de facto communist party leader. Starting from the late 1920s, Ukraine was involved in and the republic's industrial output quadrupled during the 1930s. The peasantry suffered from the of agriculture enforced by regular troops and . Those who resisted were and agricultural productivity greatly declined. As members of the collective farms were not allowed to receive any grain until sometimes unrealistic quotas were met, millions starved to death in a known as or "Great Famine". Scholars are divided as to whether this famine fits the definition of , but the and other countries have declared it as such. The Communist leadership perceived famine as a means of class struggle and used starvation as a punishment tool to force peasants into collective farms. Largely the same groups were responsible for the mass killing operations during the civil war, collectivization, and the . These groups were associated with (1891–1939) and operated in the Secret Operational Division within General State Political Administration ( ) in 1929–31. Evdokimov transferred into Communist Party administration in 1934, when he became Party secretary for . He appears to have continued advising Joseph Stalin and on security matters, and the latter relied on Evdokimov's former colleagues to carry out the mass killing operations that are known as the Great Terror in 1937–38. On 13 January 2010, Kiev Appellate Court posthumously found Stalin, and other Soviet Communist Party functionaries guilty of genocide against Ukrainians during the Holodomor famine. World War II Following the in September 1939, and troops divided the territory of Poland. Thus, Eastern and with their Ukrainian population became reunited with the rest of Ukraine. For the first time in history, the nation was united. In 1940, ceded and northern in response to . The Ukrainian SSR incorporated northern and southern districts of Bessarabia, northern Bukovina, and the Hertsa region. But it ceded the western part of the to the newly created . All these territorial gains were internationally recognized by the . on 22 June 1941, thereby initiating four straight years of incessant . The allies initially advanced against desperate but unsuccessful efforts of the . In the encirclement , the city was acclaimed as a " ", because of its fierce . More than 600,000 Soviet soldiers (or one-quarter of the ) were killed or there. suffered significant damage during , and was occupied by Nazi Germany from 19 September 1941 until 6 November 1943.]] Although the majority of Ukrainians fought alongside the Red Army and , in Western Ukraine an independent movement arose (UPA, 1942). Primarily it was created as forces of but soon it fell under the influence of nationalist underground ( , OUN) which had developed in as a radical reaction to . Both supported the goal of an on the territory with Ukrainian ethnic majority. Although this brought conflict with Nazi Germany, at times the -wing of OUN allied with the Nazi forces. Some UPA divisions also carried out the , which caused also relatively smaller Polish actions in response. After the war UPA continued to fight the USSR till the 1950s. Using tactics, the insurgents targeted for assassination and terror those who they perceived as representing or cooperating with the Soviet state. At the same time, the , another nationalist movement, fought alongside the Nazis. In total, the number of ethnic Ukrainians who fought in the ranks of the Soviet Army is estimated from 4.5 million to 7 million. The pro-Soviet partisan guerrilla resistance in Ukraine is estimated to number at 47,800 from the start of occupation to 500,000 at its peak in 1944; with about 50% being ethnic Ukrainians. Generally, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army's figures are not very reliable, with figures ranging anywhere from 15,000 to as many as 100,000 fighters. Most of the Ukrainian SSR was organized within the , with the intention of exploiting its resources and eventual German settlement. Initially, some western Ukrainians, who had only joined the Soviet Union in 1939 under pressure, hailed the Germans as liberators. But brutal German rule in the occupied territories eventually turned its supporters against them. Nazi administrators of conquered Soviet territories made little attempt to exploit dissatisfaction with Stalinist political and economic policies. Instead, the Nazis preserved the collective-farm system, systematically carried out against , , and began a systematic depopulation of Ukraine (along with Poland) to prepare it for German colonization. They blockaded the transport of food on the Kiev River. The vast majority of the fighting in World War II took place on the Eastern Front. It has been estimated that 93% of all German casualties took place there. The total losses inflicted upon the Ukrainian population during the war are estimated , including an estimated one and a half million Jews killed by the , sometimes with the help of local collaborators. Of the estimated 8.7 million Soviet troops who fell in battle against the Nazis, 1.4 million were ethnic Ukrainians. is celebrated as one of ten Ukrainian national holidays. Post-World War II The republic was heavily damaged by the war, and it required significant efforts to recover. More than 700 cities and towns and 28,000 villages were destroyed. The situation was worsened by a famine in 1946–47, which was caused by a drought and the wartime destruction of infrastructure. The death toll of this famine varies, with even the lowest estimate in the tens of thousands. In 1945, the Ukrainian SSR became one of the founding members of the organization, part of a special agreement at the . Post-war occurred in the newly expanded Soviet Union. As of 1 January 1953, Ukrainians were second only to Russians among adult " ", comprising 20% of the total. In addition, over 450,000 ethnic from Ukraine and more than 200,000 were victims of . Following the death of in 1953, became the new leader of the USSR. Having served as First Secretary of the in 1938–49, Khrushchev was intimately familiar with the republic; after taking power union-wide, he began to emphasize the friendship between the Ukrainian and Russian nations. In 1954, the 300th anniversary of the was widely celebrated. was from the to the Ukrainian SSR. By 1950, the republic had fully surpassed pre-war levels of industry and production. During the 1946–1950 , nearly 20% of the Soviet budget was invested in Soviet Ukraine, a 5% increase from prewar plans. As a result, the Ukrainian workforce rose 33.2% from 1940 to 1955 while industrial output grew 2.2 times in that same period. Soviet Ukraine soon became a European leader in industrial production, and an important center of the Soviet arms industry and high-tech research. Such an important role resulted in a major influence of the local elite. Many members of the Soviet leadership came from Ukraine, most notably . He later ousted Khrushchev and became the Soviet leader from 1964 to 1982. Many prominent Soviet sports players, scientists, and artists came from Ukraine. On 26 April 1986, a reactor in the exploded, resulting in the , the worst accident in history. This was the only accident to receive the highest possible rating of 7 by the , indicating a "major accident", until the in March 2011. At the time of the accident, 7 million people lived in the contaminated territories, including 2.2 million in Ukraine. After the accident, the new city of was built outside the exclusion zone to house and support the employees of the plant, which was decommissioned in 2000. A report prepared by the and attributed 56 direct deaths to the accident and estimated that there may have been 4,000 extra cancer deaths. Independence On 16 July 1990, the new parliament adopted the . This established the principles of the self-determination, democracy, independence, and the priority of Ukrainian law over Soviet law. A month earlier, a was adopted by the parliament of the Russian SFSR. This started a period of confrontation with the central Soviet authorities. In August 1991, a conservative faction among the Communist leaders of the Soviet Union to remove and to restore the Communist party's power. After it failed, on 24 August 1991 the Ukrainian parliament adopted the . A and the took place on 1 December 1991. More than 90% of the electorate expressed their support for the Act of Independence, and they elected the chairman of the parliament, as the first President of Ukraine. At the , Belarus on 8 December, followed by the meeting on 21 December, the leaders of Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine formally dissolved the Soviet Union and formed the (CIS). Ukraine was initially viewed as having favorable economic conditions in comparison to the other regions of the Soviet Union. However, the country experienced deeper economic slowdown than some of the other . During the recession, Ukraine lost 60% of its GDP from 1991 to 1999, and suffered five-digit inflation rates. Dissatisfied with the economic conditions, as well as the amounts of crime and , Ukrainians protested and organized strikes. The Ukrainian economy stabilized by the end of the 1990s. A new currency, the , was introduced in 1996. After 2000, the country enjoyed steady averaging about seven percent annually. A new Constitution of Ukraine was adopted under second President in 1996, which turned Ukraine into a and established a stable political system. Kuchma was, however, criticized by opponents for corruption, , discouraging free speech and concentrating too much power in his office. Ukraine also pursued full nuclear disarmament, giving up the third largest nuclear weapons stockpile in the world and dismantling or removing all strategic bombers on its territory. Orange Revolution In 2004, , then Prime Minister, was declared the winner of the , which had been largely rigged, as the Supreme Court of Ukraine later ruled. The results caused a public outcry in support of the opposition candidate, , who challenged the outcome. This resulted in the peaceful , bringing Viktor Yushchenko and Yulia Tymoshenko to power, while casting Viktor Yanukovych in opposition. Activists of the Orange Revolution were funded and trained in tactics of political organization and by Western pollsters and professional consultants who were partly funded by Western government and non-government agencies but received most of their funding from domestic sources. and Joerg Forbrig estimate in 2006 that only 130,000 out of a total of US$1.56 million in Pora came from donors outside Ukraine. According to , the foreign donors included the and along with the , the , the and 's . The has supported democracy-building efforts in Ukraine since 1988. Writings on by contributed in forming the strategic basis of the student campaigns. Yanukovych returned to power in 2006 as Prime Minister in the , until made Tymoshenko Prime Minister again. Amid the the Ukrainian economy plunged by 15%. briefly stopped all gas supplies to Ukraine in 2006 and again in 2009, leading to gas shortages in other countries. Viktor Yanukovych was with 48% of votes. Euromaidan and 2014 revolution . Events of 18 February 2014.]] The (Євромайдан literally "Eurosquare") protests started in November 2013 after the president, , began shying away from an association agreement that had been in the works with the and instead chose to establish closer ties with the Russian Federation. Some Ukrainians took to the streets to show their support for closer ties with Europe. Meanwhile, in the predominantly Russian-speaking east, a large portion of the population opposed the Euromaidan protests, instead supporting the Yanukovych government. Over time, Euromaidan came to describe a wave of demonstrations and civil unrest in Ukraine, the scope of which evolved to include calls for the resignation of President Yanukovych and . Violence escalated after 16 January 2014 when the government accepted new . Anti-government demonstrators occupied buildings in the centre of Kiev, including the Justice Ministry building, and riots left 98 dead with approximately fifteen thousand injured and 100 considered missing from 18 to 20 February. Owing to violent protests on 22 February 2014, Members of Parliament found the president unable to fulfill his duties and exercised "constitutional powers" to set an election for 25 May to select his replacement. Far right coup and war in the Donbass However, this election never materialized. The interim Prime Minister of Ukraine, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, demanded that the far right groups that caused violence during the Euromaidan disarmed themselves and submitted to the new government. The two major far right groups ( and ) unified all of the others under one coalition, the Ukrainian National Revolutionary Front, formed on 17 February. Later, on 3 March, these groups (which still controlled large parts of Kiev) stormed the building of the Verkhovna Rada (the parliament) and took control. Clashes occurred between armed UNRF members and members of the National Guard of Ukraine throughout the day. However, when Yatsenyuk arrived to sort out the situation, he was arrested and forced to resign. He was also forced to accept Oleh Tyahnybok, the leader of these far right groups, as the new President of Ukraine. The interim President, Oleksandr Turchynov, was captured and forced to accept the conditions. However, he was a sympathizer of the far right groups and ended up becoming the Prime Minister under Tyahnybok. Later in march, Crimea held a , in which the majority of the population voted to join Russia. The occupied the peninsula and annexed it, which the Ukrainian government does not recognize. President Tyahnybok declared shortly afterwards. In April, the eastern regions of Lugansk and Donetsk held their own referendums and created independent (but unrecognized) governments, seizing government buildings. The government in Kiev deployed the military to the east, beginning the . Over the course of 2014 and 2015, the new government under Tyahnybok made vast reforms, arresting many corrupt officials. They also made it a requirement for all civil servants to be fluent in the Ukrainian language, and created a "corruption hotline" for military personnel to report any officers who took part in corrupt activities. These reforms were considered positive by Ukrainians, which resulted in public opinion being in their favor. But not all were satisfied with this, and protests against the government occurred throughout the country in 2014, and to a lesser extent, in 2015. Nonetheless, a close parliamentary election in that year saw the UNRF winning the majority in the Verkhovna Rada. Government and politics Foreign relations Ukraine is part of the and the League of Nations. Military Law enforcement Administrative regions Ukraine is divided into several levels of territorial entities. On the first level there are 23 regions: 20 oblasts, one autonomous republic, and two "cities with special status". Since the earlier in 2014, Ukraine's control of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol is disputed. The administrative division in Ukraine was directly inherited (grandfathered) from the local republican administration of the Soviet Union, the , and has not changed significantly since the middle of the 20th century. It is somewhat complex as beside having several levels of a territorial subdivision, it also has a classification for various populated places, particularly cities. Autonomous republic The Autonomous Republic of Crimea, formerly the Crimean Oblast of the Ukrainian SSR, geographically encompasses the major portion of the Crimean peninsula in southern Ukraine. Its capital is . The Autonomous Republic of Crimea is the only region within Ukraine that possesses its own constitution. On March 16, 2014, a referendum on joining the Russian Federation was conducted. A majority of voters supported the measure. On March 21, 2014, the Russian Duma voted to annex Crimea as a subject into the Russian Federation. The Ukrainian government does not recognize the referendum or annexation of Crimea as legitimate. Oblasts Cities with special status Following the 2014 Crimean crisis, Sevastopol is controlled by Russia and is incorporated as a . It is recognized as a part of Ukraine by most of the international community. Geography At , Ukraine is the world's . It is the largest wholly European country and the in Europe (after the European part of Russia, before ). It lies between latitudes and , and longitudes and . The landscape of Ukraine consists mostly of fertile plains (or steppes) and plateaus, crossed by rivers such as the ( : Dnipro), , and the as they flow south into the and the smaller . To the southwest, the of the forms the border with Romania. Its various regions have diverse geographic features ranging from the highlands to the lowlands. The country's only mountains are the Carpathian Mountains in the west, of which the highest is the at , and the on Crimea, in the extreme south along the coast. However Ukraine also has a number of highland regions such as the Volyn-Podillia Upland (in the west) and the Near-Dnipro Upland (on the right bank of Dnieper); to the east there are the south-western spurs of the Central Russian Uplands over which runs the border with Russian Federation. Near the Sea of Azov can be found the Donets Ridge and the Near Azov Upland. The snow melt from the mountains feeds the rivers, and natural changes in altitude form a sudden drop in elevation and create many opportunities to form . Significant natural resources in Ukraine include iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulphur, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber and an abundance of arable land. Despite this, the country faces a number of major environmental issues such as inadequate supplies of potable water; air and water pollution and deforestation, as well as radiation contamination in the north-east from the . is still in its infancy in Ukraine. Biodiversity Ukraine is home to a very wide range of animals, fungi, micro-organisms and plants. Animals Ukraine is divided into two main zoological areas. One of these areas, in the west of the country, is made up of the borderlands of Europe, where there are species typical of mixed forests, the other is located in eastern Ukraine, where steppe-dwelling species thrive. In the forested areas of the country it is not uncommon to find lynxes, wolves, wild boar and martens, as well as many other similar species; this is especially true of the , where a large number of predatory mammals make their home, as well as a contingent of brown bears. Around Ukraine's lakes and rivers beavers, otters and mink make their home, whilst within, carp, bream and catfish are the most commonly found species of fish. In the central and eastern parts of the country, rodents such as hamsters and gophers are found in large numbers. Fungi More than 6,600 of (including -forming species) have been recorded from Ukraine, but this number is far from complete. The true total number of fungal species occurring in Ukraine, including species not yet recorded, is likely to be far higher, given the generally accepted estimate that only about 7% of all fungi worldwide have so far been discovered. Although the amount of available information is still very small, a first effort has been made to estimate the number of fungal species endemic to Ukraine, and 2217 such species have been tentatively identified. Climate Ukraine has a mostly , although the southern coast has a . is disproportionately distributed; it is highest in the west and north and lowest in the east and southeast. Western Ukraine receives around of precipitation annually, while Crimea receives around . Winters vary from cool along the Black Sea to cold farther inland. Average annual temperatures range from in the north, to in the south. Economy In Soviet times, the economy of Ukraine was the second largest in the Soviet Union, being an important industrial and agricultural component of the country's . With the dissolution of the Soviet system, the country moved from a planned economy to a . The transition process was difficult for the majority of the population which plunged into poverty. Ukraine's economy contracted severely following the years after the Soviet dissolution. Day-to-day life for the average person living in Ukraine was a struggle. A significant number of citizens in rural Ukraine survived by growing their own food, often working two or more jobs and buying the basic necessities through the . In 1991, the government liberalized most prices to combat widespread product shortages, and was successful in overcoming the problem. At the same time, the government continued to subsidize state-run industries and agriculture by uncovered monetary emission. The loose monetary policies of the early 1990s pushed inflation to ary levels. For the year 1993, Ukraine holds the world record for inflation in one calendar year. Those living on fixed incomes suffered the most. Prices stabilized only after the introduction of new currency, the , in 1996. The country was also slow in implementing structural reforms. Following independence, the government formed a legal framework for . However, widespread resistance to reforms within the government and from a significant part of the population soon stalled the reform efforts. A large number of state-owned enterprises were exempt from the privatization process. In the meantime, by 1999, the GDP had fallen to less than 40% of the 1991 level. It recovered considerably in the following years, but as at 2014 had yet to reach the historical maximum. In the early 2000s, the economy showed strong export-based growth of 5 to 10%, with industrial production growing more than 10% per year. Ukraine was hit by the and in November 2008, the IMF approved a stand-by loan of $16.5 billion for the country. Ukraine's 2010 GDP ( ), as calculated by the , is ranked and estimated at $305.2 billion. Its GDP per capita in 2010 according to the CIA was $6,700 (in PPP terms), ranked 107th in the world. Nominal GDP (in U.S. dollars, calculated at market exchange rate) was $136 billion, . By July 2008 the average nominal salary in Ukraine reached 1,930 hryvnias per month. Despite remaining lower than in neighboring central European countries, the salary income growth in 2008 stood at 36.8%. Ukraine produces nearly all types of transportation vehicles and }. Antonov airplanes and trucks are exported to many countries. The majority of Ukrainian exports are marketed to the and . Since independence, Ukraine has maintained its own space agency, the (NSAU). Ukraine became an active participant in scientific space exploration and remote sensing missions. Between 1991 and 2007, Ukraine has launched six self made and 101 s, and continues to design spacecraft. The country imports most energy supplies, especially oil and natural gas and to a large extent depends on Russia as its energy supplier. While 25% of the natural gas in Ukraine comes from internal sources, about 35% comes from Russia and the remaining 40% from Central Asia through transit routes that Russia controls. At the same time, 85% of the Russian gas is delivered to through Ukraine. Growing sectors of the Ukrainian economy include the information technology (IT) market, which topped all other and Eastern European countries in 2007, growing some 40 percent. In 2013, Ukraine ranked fourth in the world in number of certified professionals after the United States, and . Ukraine's 2010 GDP, as calculated by the , was around $136 billion, 2011 GDP – around $163 billion, 2012 – $176.6 billion, 2013 – $177.4 billion. In 2014 and 2015, the Ukrainian hryvnia was the world's worst performing currency, having dropped 80 percent of its value since April 2014 due to the War in Donbass, 2014 Ukrainian coup d'état, and the by Russia. The World Bank classifies Ukraine as a middle-income state. Significant issues include underdeveloped infrastructure and transportation, corruption and bureaucracy. The public will to fight against corrupt officials and business elites culminated in a strong wave of public demonstrations against the Victor Yanukovych’s regime in November 2013. In 2007 the recorded the second highest growth in the world of 130 percent. According to the CIA, in 2006 the market capitalization of the Ukrainian stock market was $111.8 billion. Ukraine has managed to achieve certain progress in reducing absolute poverty, ensuring access to primary and secondary education, improving maternal health and reducing child mortality. The poverty rate according to the absolute criterion (share of the population whose daily consumption is below US$5.05 (PPP)) was reduced from 11.9 percent in 2000 to 2.3 percent in 2012, and the poverty rate according to the relative criterion (share of the population below the national poverty line) decreased at the same time from 71.2 percent to 24.0 percent. Corporations Ukraine has a very large heavy-industry base and is one of the largest refiners of metallurgical products in Eastern Europe. However, the country is also well known for its production of high-technological goods and transport products, such as aircraft and various private and commercial vehicles. The country's largest and most competitive firms are components of the , traded on the . Well-known Ukrainian brands include , , , , , , , , and . Ukraine is regarded as a developing economy with high potential for future success, though such a development is thought likely only with new all-encompassing economic and legal reforms. Although in Ukraine remained relatively strong since , the country has had trouble maintaining stable economic growth. Issues relating to current corporate governance in Ukraine were primarily linked to the large scale monopolisation of traditional heavy industries by wealthy individuals such as , the enduring failure to broaden the nation's economic base and a lack of effective legal protection for investors and their products. Despite all this, Ukraine's economy was still expected to grow by around 3.5% in 2010. Transport In total, Ukrainian paved roads stretch for . Major routes, marked with the letter 'M' for 'International' ( : Міжнародний), extend nationwide and connect all major cities of Ukraine, and provide cross-border routes to the country's neighbours. There are only two true standard highways in Ukraine; a stretch of motorway from to and a section of the M03 which extends from Kiev to , where the city's is located. connects all major urban areas, port facilities and with neighbouring countries. The heaviest concentration of is the region of Ukraine. Although fell by 7.4% in 1995 in comparison with 1994, Ukraine is still one of the . The total amount of railroad track in Ukraine extends for , of which is electrified. Currently the state has a monopoly on the provision of passenger rail transport, and all trains, other than those with cooperation of other foreign companies on international routes, are operated by its company ' '. Transport by air is developing quickly, with a visa-free programme for EU nationals and citizens of a number of other Western nations, the nation's aviation sector is handling a significantly increased number of travellers. The football tournament, held in Poland and Ukraine as joint hosts, prompted the government to invest heavily in transport infrastructure, and in particular airports. The Donetsk airport, completed for Euro 2012, was destroyed by the end of 2014 due to the ongoing war between the government and the separatist movement. is the county's largest international airport; it has three main passenger terminals and is the base for both of Ukraine's national airlines. Other large airports in the country include those in , and (now destroyed), whilst those in and have plans for terminal upgrades in the near future. Ukraine has a number of airlines, the largest of which are the nation's flag carriers, and . , a subsidiary of the Antonov Aerospace Design Bureau is the only operator of the world's largest fixed wing aircraft, the An-225. International maritime travel is mainly provided through the , from where ferries sail regularly to , and . The largest ferry company presently operating these routes is . Energy In 2014, Ukraine was ranked number 19 on the Emerging Market Energy Security Growth Prosperity Index, published by the think tank Bisignis Institute, which ranks emerging market countries using government corruption, GDP growth and oil reserve information. Fuel resources Ukraine produces and processes its own natural gas and . However, the majority of these commodities are imported. Eighty percent of Ukrainian natural gas supplies are imported, mainly by Russia. Natural gas is heavily utilised not only in energy production but also by and industries of the country, as well as by the sector. In 2012, started exploration drilling for in Ukraine—a project aimed at the nation's total gas supply independence. Ukraine has sufficient reserves and increases its use in electricity generation. Power generation Ukraine has been a net country, for example in 2011, 3.3% of electricity produced were exported, but also one of Europe's largest energy consumers. As of 2011, 47.6% of total electricity generation was from The largest in Europe, the , is located in Ukraine. Most of the nuclear fuel has been coming from . In 2008 won a five-year contract selling nuclear fuel to three Ukrainian reactors starting in 2011. Following then President introduced a ban on nuclear fuel shipments to Europe via Ukraine, which was in effect from 28 January until 6 March 2014. After the Russian annexation of Crimea in April 2014, the National Nuclear Energy Generating Company of Ukraine and Westinghouse extended the contract for fuel deliveries through 2020. and -fired s and are the second and third largest kinds of power generation in the country. Renewable energy use The share of within the total energy mix is still very small, but is growing fast. Total installed capacity of renewable energy installations more than doubled in 2011 and as of 2012 stands at 397 MW. In 2011 several large were opened in Ukraine, among them Europe's largest solar park in Perovo, (Crimea). Ukrainian State Agency for Energy Efficiency and Conservation forecasts that combined installed capacity of wind and solar power plants in Ukraine could increase by another 600 MW in 2012. According to Macquarie Research, by 2016 Ukraine will construct and commission new solar power stations with a total capacity of 1.8 GW, almost equivalent to the capacity of two nuclear reactors. The Economic Bank for Reconstruction and Development estimates that Ukraine has great renewable energy potential: the technical potential for wind energy is estimated at 40 TWh/year, small hydropower stations at 8.3 TWh/year, biomass at 120 TWh/year, and solar energy at 50 TWh/year. In 2011, Ukraine's predicted that the installed capacity of generation from alternative and renewable energy sources would increase to 9% (about 6 GW) of the total electricity production in the country. Internet Ukraine has a large and steadily growing sector, mostly uninfluenced by the ; rapid growth is forecast for at least two more years. Internet penetration – 45% and 19.9 million users in December 2012. Ukraine ranks 8th among the world's TOP-10 countries with the fastest Internet access speed. Tourism Ukraine occupies 8th place in Europe by the number of tourists visiting, according to the , due to its numerous tourist attractions: mountain ranges suitable for skiing, hiking and fishing: the Black Sea coastline as a popular summer destination; nature reserves of different ecosytems; churches, castle ruins and other architectural and park landmarks; various outdoor activity points. Kiev, Lviv, Odessa, and are Ukraine's principal tourist centers each offering many historical landmarks as well as formidable hospitality infrastructure. The and are the selection of the most important landmarks of Ukraine, chosen by the general public through an internet-based vote. Demographics |#0057b8|77.8}} |#0057b8|17.3}} |#0057b8|1.2|0.6%}} |#0057b8|1.2|0.5%}} |#0057b8|1.2|0.5%}} |#0057b8|1.2|0.4%}} |#0057b8|1|0.3%}} |#0057b8|1|0.3%}} |#0057b8|1|0.3%}} |caption = }} According to the Ukrainian Census of 2001, s make up 77.8% of the population. Other significant groups have identified themselves as belonging to the nationality of s (17.3%), s (0.6%), s (0.5%), (0.5%), s (0.4%), s (0.3%), s (0.3%), s (0.3%), s (0.2%), s (0.2%), s (0.2%) and Tatars (0.2%). The industrial regions in the east and southeast are the most heavily populated, and about 67.2% of the population lives in urban areas. Population decline Ukraine's population has been declining since the 1990s due to its high death rate and a low birth rate. The population is shrinking by over 150,000 annually since 1993. The birth rate has recovered in recent years from a low level around 2000, and is now comparable to the European average. It would need to increase by another 50% or so to stabilize the population and offset the high mortality rate. In 2007, the country's rate of population decline was the fourth highest in the world. Life expectancy is falling, and Ukraine suffers a high from environmental pollution, poor diets, widespread smoking, extensive alcoholism and deteriorating medical care. In the years 2008 to 2010, more than 1.5 million children were born in Ukraine, compared to fewer than 1.2 million during 1999–2001 during the worst of the demographic crisis. In 2008 Ukraine posted record-breaking birth rates since its 1991 independence. Infant mortality rates have also dropped from 10.4 deaths to 8.3 per 1,000 children under one year of age. This is lower than in 153 countries of the world. Fertility and natalist policies The current birth rate in Ukraine, as of 2010, is 10.8 births/1,000 population, and the death rate is 15.2 deaths/1,000 population (see ). The phenomenon of lowest-low fertility, defined as total fertility below 1.3, is emerging throughout Europe and is attributed by many to postponement of the initiation of childbearing. Ukraine, where total fertility (a very low 1.1 in 2001), was one of the world's lowest, shows that there is more than one pathway to lowest-low fertility. Although Ukraine has undergone immense political and economic transformations during 1991–2004, it has maintained a young age at first birth and nearly universal childbearing. Analysis of official national statistics and the Ukrainian Reproductive Health Survey show that fertility declined to very low levels without a transition to a later pattern of childbearing. Findings from focus group interviews suggest explanations of the early fertility pattern. These findings include the persistence of traditional norms for childbearing and the roles of men and women, concerns about medical complications and infertility at a later age, and the link between early fertility and early marriage. To help mitigate the declining population, the government continues to increase child support payments. Thus it provides one-time payments of 12,250 Hryvnias for the first child, 25,000 Hryvnias for the second and 50,000 Hryvnias for the third and fourth, along with monthly payments of 154 Hryvnias per child. The new regime that rose to power following the 2014 Ukrainian coup d'état increased the payments for children by 5,000 Hryvnias each, in an attempt to raise the population. The demographic trend is showing signs of improvement, as the birth rate has been steadily growing since 2001. Net population growth over the first nine months of 2007 was registered in five provinces of the country (out of 24), and population shrinkage was showing signs of stabilising nationwide. In 2007 the highest birth rates were in the western oblasts. In 2008, Ukraine emerged from lowest-low fertility, and the upward trend has continued since, except for a slight dip in 2010 due to the economic crisis of 2009. Urbanisation In total, Ukraine has 457 cities, 176 of them are labelled oblast-class, 279 smaller raion-class cities, and two special legal status cities. These are followed by 886 urban-type settlements and 28,552 villages. Language According to the constitution, the of Ukraine is Ukrainian. Russian is widely spoken, especially in eastern and southern Ukraine. According to the 2001 census, 67.5% of the population declared Ukrainian as their native language and 29.6% declared Russian. Most native Ukrainian speakers know Russian as a second language. Russian was the de facto official language of the Soviet Union but both Russian and Ukrainian were official languages in the Soviet Union and in the schools of the learning Ukrainian was mandatory. Effective in August 2012, entitles any local language spoken by at least a 10% minority be declared official within that area. Russian was within weeks declared as a regional language in several southern and eastern oblasts (provinces) and cities. Russian can now be used in these cities'/oblasts' administrative office work and documents. On 23 February 2014, following the , the Ukrainian Parliament voted to repeal the law on regional languages, making Ukrainian the sole state language at all levels; however, but this vote was not signed by acting President Turchynov and current President Oleh Tyahnybok. Ukrainian is mainly spoken in western and central Ukraine. In western Ukraine, Ukrainian is also the dominant language in cities (such as ). In central Ukraine, Ukrainian and Russian are both equally used in cities, with Russian being more common in , while Ukrainian is the dominant language in rural communities. In eastern and southern Ukraine, Russian is primarily used in cities, and Ukrainian is used in rural areas. These details result in a significant difference across different survey results, as even a small restating of a question switches responses of a significant group of people. For a large part of the Soviet era, the number of Ukrainian speakers declined from generation to generation, and by the mid-1980s, the usage of the Ukrainian language in public life had decreased significantly. Following independence, the government of Ukraine began restoring the image and usage of Ukrainian language through a policy of . Today, all foreign films and TV programs, including Russian ones, are subtitled or dubbed in Ukrainian. According to the Constitution of the , Ukrainian is the only state language of the republic. However, the republic's constitution specifically recognizes Russian as the language of the majority of its population and guarantees its usage 'in all spheres of public life'. Similarly, the (the language of 12% of population of Crimea) is guaranteed a special state protection as well as the 'languages of other ethnicities'. Russian speakers constitute an overwhelming majority of the Crimean population (77%), with Crimean Tatar speakers 11.4% and Ukrainian speakers comprising just 10.1%. But in everyday life the majority of Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians in Crimea use Russian. Religion Estimates compiled by the independent in a nationwide survey in 2006 found that 75.2 percent of the respondents believe in God and 22 percent said they did not believe in God. 37.4 percent said that they attended church on regular basis. Among Ukrainians who are affiliated with an organised religion, the most common religion in Ukraine is , currently split between three Church bodies: the , the church body under the , and the . A distant second by the number of the followers is the , which practices a similar and spiritual tradition as Eastern Orthodoxy, but is in with the of the Roman Catholic Church and recognises the primacy of the Pope as head of the Church. Additionally, there are 863 Catholic communities, and 474 clergy members serving some one million Latin Rite Catholics in Ukraine. The group forms some 2.19% of the population and consists mainly of ethnic and , who live predominantly in the western regions of the country. form around 2.19% of the population. Smaller groups are also present. There are an estimated 500,000 in Ukraine and about 300,000 of them are . There are 487 registered Muslim communities, 368 of them on Crimea. In addition, some 50,000 Muslims live in Kiev; mostly foreign-born. The population is a tiny fraction of what it was before . In Tsarist times, Ukraine had been part of the , to which Jews were largely restricted in the Russian Empire. The largest Jewish communities in 1926 were in , 154,000 or 36.5% of the total population; and Kiev, 140,500 or 27.3%. has the strongest presence in Ukraine. Smaller and ( ) communities exist. One 2006 survey put the number of in Ukraine at approximately 11.1% of the population. Famines and migration The , followed by the devastation of World War II, comprised a demographic disaster. Life expectancy at birth fell to a level as low as ten years for females and seven for males in 1933 and plateaued around 25 for females and 15 for males in the period 1941–44. According to The Oxford companion to World War II, "Over 7 million inhabitants of Ukraine, more than one-sixth of the pre-war population, were killed during the Second World War." Significant migration took place in the first years of Ukrainian independence. More than one million people moved into Ukraine in 1991–92, mostly from the other former Soviet republics. In total, between 1991 and 2004, 2.2 million immigrated to Ukraine (among them, 2 million came from the other former Soviet Union states), and 2.5 million emigrated from Ukraine (among them, 1.9 million moved to other former Soviet Union republics). Currently, immigrants constitute an estimated 14.7% of the total population, or 6.9 million people; this is the figure in the world. In 2006, there were an estimated 1.2 million of Ukrainian ancestry, giving Canada the world's third-largest Ukrainian population behind Ukraine itself and Russia. There are also large Ukrainian immigrant communities in the United States, Australia, and . Health .]] The was established in April 1918 in Kiev as an independent humanitarian society of the . Its immediate tasks were to help refugees and prisoners of war, care for handicapped people and orphaned children, fight famine and epidemics, support and organize sick quarters, hospitals and public canteens. At present, society involves more than 6.3 million supporters and activists. Its Visiting Nurses Service has 3200 qualified nurses. The organization takes part in more than 40 humanitarian programmes all over Ukraine, which are mostly funded by public donation and corporate partnerships. By its own estimates, the Society annually provides services to more than 105 000 lonely, elderly people, about 23 000 people disabled during the Second World War and handicapped workers, more than 25 000 war veterans, and more than 8 000 adults handicapped since childhood. Assistance for orphaned and disabled children is also rendered. Ukraine's healthcare system is state subsidized and freely available to all Ukrainian citizens and registered residents. However, it is not compulsory to be treated in a state-run hospital as a number of private medical complexes do exist nationwide. The public sector employs most healthcare professionals, with those working for private medical centers typically also retaining their state employment as they are mandated to provide care at public health facilities on a regular basis. All of the country's medical service providers and hospitals are subordinate to the Ministry of Health, which provides oversight and scrutiny of general medical practice as well as being responsible for the day-to-day administration of the healthcare system. Despite this, standards of hygiene and patient-care have fallen. Hospitals in Ukraine are organized along the same lines as most European nations, according to the regional administrative structure; as a result most towns have their own hospital (Міська Лікарня) and many also have district hospitals (Районна Лікарня). Larger and more specialized medical complexes tend only to be found in major cities, with some even more specialized units located only in the capital, Kiev. However, all have their own network of general hospitals which are able to deal with almost all medical problems and are typically equipped with major trauma centres; such hospitals are called 'regional hospitals' (Обласна Лікарня). Ukraine currently faces a number of major public health issues and is considered to be in a demographic crisis due to its high death rate and low birth rate (the current Ukrainian birth rate is 11 births/1,000 population, and the death rate is 16.3 deaths/1,000 population). A factor contributing to the high death rate is a high among working-age males from preventable causes such as and smoking. In 2008, the country's population was one of the fastest declining in the world at −5% growth. The UN warned that Ukraine's population could fall by as much as 10 million by 2050 if trends did not improve. In addition, obesity, systemic high blood pressure and the HIV endemic are all major challenges facing the Ukrainian healthcare system. As of March 2009 the is reforming the health care system, by the creation of a national network of s and improvements in the . The former Prime Minister put forward (in November 2009) an idea to start introducing a public healthcare system based on health insurance in the spring of 2010. Education is one of Ukraine's most important educational institutions.]] According to the Ukrainian constitution, access to free education is granted to all citizens. Complete general secondary education is compulsory in the state schools which constitute the overwhelming majority. Free higher education in state and communal educational establishments is provided on a competitive basis. There is also a small number of accredited private secondary and higher education institutions. Because of the Soviet Union's emphasis on total access of education for all citizens, which continues today, the is an estimated 99.4%. Since 2005, an eleven-year school programme has been replaced with a twelve-year one: primary education takes four years to complete (starting at age six), middle education (secondary) takes five years to complete; upper secondary then takes three years. In the 12th grade, students take Government tests, which are also referred to as school-leaving exams. These tests are later used for university admissions. The first higher education institutions (HEIs) emerged in Ukraine during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The first Ukrainian higher education institution was the , or Ostrozkiy Greek-Slavic-Latin Collegium, similar to Western European higher education institutions of the time. Established in 1576 in the town of , the Collegium was the first higher education institution in the territories. The oldest university was the , first established in 1632 and in 1694 officially recognized by the government of as a higher education institution. Among the oldest is also the , founded in 1661. More higher education institutions were set up in the 19th century, beginning with universities in (1805), (1834), (1865) and (1875) and a number of professional higher education institutions, e.g.: (originally established as the Gymnasium of Higher Sciences in 1805), a Veterinary Institute (1873) and a (1885) in Kharkiv, a in Kiev (1898) and a Higher Mining School (1899) in . Rapid growth followed in the period. By 1988 a number of higher education institutions increased to 146 with over 850,000 students. Most HEIs established after 1990 are those owned by private organizations. The Ukrainian higher education system comprises higher educational establishments, scientific and methodological facilities under national, and self-governing bodies in charge of education. The organization of higher education in Ukraine is built up in accordance with the structure of education of the world's higher , as is defined by UNESCO and the UN. Ukraine has more than 800 higher education institutions and in 2010 the number of graduates reached 654,700 people. Ukraine produces the fourth largest number of in Europe, while being ranked seventh in population. is either state funded or private. Students that study at state expense receive a standard scholarship if their average marks at the end-of-term exams and differentiated test suffice; this rule may be different in some universities. For highest grades, the scholarship is increased by 25%. For most students the government subsidy is not sufficient to cover their basic living expenses. Most universities provide subsidized housing for out-of-city students. Also, it is common for libraries to supply required books for all registered students. Ukrainian universities confer two degrees: the Bachelor's Degree (4 years) and the Master's Degree (5–6th year), in accordance with the . Historically, (usually 5 years) is still also granted; it was the only degree awarded by universities in the Soviet times. Regional differences is the dominant language in and in , while is the dominant language in the cities of and . In the schools, learning was mandatory; currently in modern Ukraine, schools with Ukrainian as the language of instruction offer classes in Russian and in the other minority languages. On the , on Soviet Union and , opinion in Eastern Ukraine and Southern Ukraine tends to be the exact opposite of those in Western Ukraine; while opinions in Central Ukraine on these topics tend be less extreme. Similar historical cleavages also remain evident at the level of individual social identification. Attitudes toward the most important political issue, relations with Russia, differed strongly between , identifying more with and the and , predominantly Russian orientated and favourable to the Soviet era, while in central and southern Ukraine, as well as Kiev, such divisions were less important and there was less antipathy toward people from other regions (a poll by the Research & Branding Group held March 2010 showed that the attitude of the citizens of Donetsk to the citizens of Lviv was 79% positive and that the attitude of the citizens of Lviv to the citizens of Donetsk was 88% positive). During voters of Western and Central Ukrainian (provinces) vote mostly for parties ( , Batkivshchyna) and presidential candidates ( , ) with a pro-Western and state reform platform, while voters in Southern and Eastern oblasts vote for parties (CPU, Party of Regions) and presidential candidates ( ) with a pro-Russian and platform. Culture Ukrainian customs are heavily influenced by Christianity, the dominant religion in the country. Gender roles also tend to be more traditional, and grandparents play a greater role in bringing up children, than in the West. The culture of Ukraine has also been influenced by its eastern and western neighbours, reflected in its , music and art. The Communist era had quite a strong effect on the art and writing of Ukraine. In 1932, Stalin made socialist realism state policy in the Soviet Union when he promulgated the decree "On the Reconstruction of Literary and Art Organisations". This greatly stifled creativity. During the 1980s (openness) was introduced and Soviet artists and writers again became free to express themselves as they wanted. The tradition of the Easter egg, known as , has long roots in Ukraine. These eggs were drawn on with wax to create a pattern; then, the dye was applied to give the eggs their pleasant colours, the dye did not affect the previously wax-coated parts of the egg. After the entire egg was dyed, the wax was removed leaving only the colourful pattern. This tradition is thousands of years old, and precedes the arrival of Christianity to Ukraine. In the city of near the foothills of the in 2000 was built the museum of Pysanka which won a nomination as the monument of modern Ukraine in 2007, part of the action. Weaving and embroidery Artisan textile arts play an important role in Ukrainian culture, especially in . , and lace-making are used in traditional and in traditional celebrations. Ukrainian embroidery varies depending on the region of origin and the designs have a long history of motifs, compositions, choice of colours and types of stitches. Use of color is very important and has roots in . Embroidery motifs found in different parts of Ukraine are preserved in the Museum in . National dress is woven and highly decorated. Weaving with handmade looms is still practised in the village of Krupove, situated in . The village is the birthplace of two famous personalities in the scene of national crafts fabrication. Nina Myhailivna and Uliana Petrivna with international recognition. To preserve this traditional knowledge the village is planning to open a local weaving centre, a museum and weaving school. Literature The history of Ukrainian literature dates back to the 11th century, following the Christianization of the Kievan Rus'. The writings of the time were mainly liturgical and were written in . Historical accounts of the time were referred to as s, the most significant of which was the . Literary activity faced a sudden decline during the . Ukrainian literature again began to develop in the 14th century, and was advanced significantly in the 16th century with the introduction of and with the beginning of the Cossack era, under both Russian and Polish dominance. The Cossacks established an independent society and popularized a of s, which marked a high point of Ukrainian . These advances were then set back in the 17th and early 18th centuries, when publishing in the Ukrainian language was outlawed and prohibited. Nonetheless, by the late 18th century modern literary Ukrainian finally emerged. The 19th century initiated a period in Ukraine, led by 's work (Eneyida), the first publication written in modern Ukrainian. By the 1830s, Ukrainian began to develop, and the nation's most renowned cultural figure, romanticist poet-painter emerged. Where Ivan Kotliarevsky is considered to be the father of literature in the Ukrainian vernacular; Shevchenko is the father of a national revival. Then, in 1863, use of the Ukrainian language in print was effectively by the Russian Empire. This severely curtailed literary activity in the area, and Ukrainian writers were forced to either publish their works in Russian or release them in Austrian controlled . The ban was never officially lifted, but it became obsolete after the revolution and the Bolsheviks' coming to power. Ukrainian literature continued to flourish in the early Soviet years, when nearly all literary trends were approved (the most important literature figures of that time were , , , and some others). These policies faced a steep decline in the 1930s, when prominent representatives as well as many others were killed by NKVD (as part of ). In general around 223 writers were repressed (so called The ). This repressions were part of Stalin's implemented policy of socialist realism. The doctrine did not necessarily repress the Ukrainian language, but it required writers to follow a certain style in their works. In post-Stalinist times literary activities continued to be somewhat limited under the Communist Party. The most famous figures of Ukrainian post-war Soviet literature were , , , , , , . Literary freedom appeared in late 1980s — early 1990s with the process of collapse of the USSR and reestablishing of Ukrainian independence in 1991. Among the most famous writers of the post-Soviet period are , , , , , , , , , . Architecture Ukrainian architecture is a term that describes the motifs and styles that are found in structures built in modern Ukraine, and by Ukrainians worldwide. These include initial roots which were established in the Eastern Slavic state of Kievan Rus'. After the , the distinct architectural history continued in the principalities of . During the epoch of the , a new style unique to Ukraine was developed under the western influences of the . After the union with the , many structures in the larger eastern, Russian-ruled area were built in the styles of of that period, whilst the western was developed under . Ukrainian national motifs would finally be used during the period of the and in modern independent Ukraine. The great , built after the in 988, were the first examples of monumental architecture in the East Slavic lands. The architectural style of the Kievan state was strongly influenced by the . Early churches were mainly made of wood, with the simplest form of church becoming known as a . Major cathedrals often featured scores of small domes, which led some art historians to take this as an indication of the appearance of pre-Christian pagan Slavic temples. Several examples of these churches survive; however, during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, many were externally rebuilt in the style (see below). Examples include the grand ( – the year 1017 is the earliest record of foundation laid, – built from 1113 to 1125 and , circa 12th-century. All can still be found in the Ukrainian capital. Several buildings were reconstructed during the late-19th century, including the in , built in 1160 and reconstructed in 1896–1900, the , built in 1201 with reconstruction done in the late 1940s, and the , built in 1037 and reconstructed in 1982. The latter's reconstruction was criticised by some art and architecture historians as a revivalist fantasy. Unfortunately little secular or of Kievan Rus' has survived. As Ukraine became increasingly integrated into the , Russian architects had the opportunity to realise their projects in the picturesque landscape that many Ukrainian cities and regions offered. (1747–1754), built by , is a notable example of architecture, and its location on top of the Kievan mountain made it a recognizable monument of the city. An equally notable contribution of Rasetrelli was the , which was built to be a summer residence to Russian Empress . During the reign of the last , , many of the 's towns such as , and had grandiose projects built by . Russia eventually conquered the south of Ukraine and Crimea, and renamed them as New Russia. New cities such as , , and were founded. These would contain notable examples of Imperial Russian architecture. In 1934, the capital of Soviet Ukraine moved from to Kiev. Previously, the city was seen as only a regional centre, hence received little attention. All of that was to change, at great price. The first examples of Stalinist architecture were already showing, and, in light of the official policy, a new city was to be built on top of the old one. This meant that much-admired examples such as the were destroyed. Even the St. Sophia Cathedral was under threat. Also, the Second World War contributed to the wreckage. After the war, a new project for the reconstruction of central Kiev transformed avenue into a notable example of Stalinism in Architecture. However, by 1955, the new politics of architecture once again stopped the project from fully being realised. The task for modern Ukrainian architecture is diverse application of modern aesthetics, the search for an architect's own artistic style and inclusion of the existing historico-cultural environment. An example of modern Ukrainian architecture is the reconstruction and renewal of the in central Kiev. Despite the limit set by narrow space within the plaza, the engineers were able to blend together the uneven landscape, and use underground space for a new shopping centre. A major project, which may take up most of the 21st century, is the construction of the Kiev City-Centre on the , which, when finished, will include a dense skyscraper park amid the picturesque landscape of the . Music Music is a major part of Ukrainian culture, with a long history and many influences. From traditional , to and , Ukraine has produced several internationally recognised musicians including , and . Elements from traditional Ukrainian folk music made their way into Western music and even into . Ukrainian music sometimes presents a perplexing mix of exotic melismatic singing with chordal harmony. The most striking general characteristic of authentic ethnic Ukrainian folk music is the wide use of minor modes or keys which incorporate augmented 2nd intervals. During the Baroque period, music was an important discipline for those that had received a higher education in Ukraine. It had a place of considerable importance in the curriculum of the . Much of the nobility was well versed in music with many Ukrainian Cossack leaders such as (Mazepa, Paliy, Holovatyj, Sirko) being accomplished players of the kobza, bandura or torban. The first dedicated musical academy was set up in Hlukhiv, Ukraine in 1738 and students were taught to sing, play violin and bandura from manuscripts. As a result, many of the earliest composers and performers within the Russian empire were ethnically Ukrainian, having been born or educated in Hlukhiv, or had been closely associated with this music school. See: , and . Ukrainian classical music falls into three distinct categories defined by whether the composer was of Ukrainian ethnicity living in Ukraine, a composer of non-Ukrainian ethnicity who was born or at some time was a citizen of Ukraine, or an ethnic Ukrainian living outside of Ukraine within the . The music of these three groups differs considerably, as do the audiences for whom they cater. Since the mid-1960s, Western-influenced pop music has been growing in popularity in Ukraine. Folk singer and harmonium player is prominent. Ukrainian pop and folk music arose with the international popularity of groups and performers like , , and . Cinema Ukraine has had an influence on the history of the cinema. Ukrainian directors , often cited as one of the most important early Soviet filmmakers, as well as being a pioneer of , , and , Armenian film director and artist who made significant contributions to Ukrainian, Armenian and Georgian cinema. He invented his own cinematic style, Ukrainian poetic cinema, which was totally out of step with the guiding principles of socialist realism. Other important directors including , , , , , , with his and . Many Ukrainian actors have achieved international fame and critical success, including: , , , , . Despite a history of important and successful productions, the industry has often been characterised by a debate about its identity and the level of Russian and European influence. Ukrainian producers are active in international co-productions and Ukrainian actors, directors and crew feature regularly in Russian (Soviet in past) films. Also successful films have been based on Ukrainian people, stories or events, including , , . Ukrainian State Film Agency owns , film copying laboratory and archive, takes part in hosting of the , and is the only one accredited International Film Festival held in Ukraine; competition program is devoted to student, first short and first full feature films from all over the world. Held annually in October. Media Ukrayinska Pravda founded by in April 2000 (the day of the Ukrainian constitutional referendum). Published mainly in Ukrainian with selected articles published in or translated to Russian and English, the newspaper has particular emphasis on the politics of Ukraine. Freedom of the press in Ukraine is considered to be among the freest of the post-Soviet states other than the Baltic states. Kiev dominates the media sector in Ukraine: the is Ukraine's leading English-language newspaper. National , , tabloids, such as or (Russian), and television and radio are largely based there, although Lviv is also a significant national media centre. The National News Agency of Ukraine, was founded here in 1918. The Ukraine publishing sector, including books, directories and databases, journals, magazines and business media, newspapers and news agencies, has a combined turnover. Sanoma publishing Ukrainian editions of such magazines as , and . started its broadcasts in 1992. Ukrainians listen to radio programming, such as or , largely commercial, on average just over two-and-a-half hours a day. Several television channels operate, and many Websites are popular. Sport Ukraine greatly benefited from the Soviet emphasis on . Such policies left Ukraine with hundreds of stadia, swimming pools, gymnasia and many other athletic facilities. The most popular sport is . The top professional league is the ("premier league"). Many Ukrainians also played for the , most notably and , winners of the prestigious . This award was only presented to one Ukrainian after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, . The national team made its debut in the , and reached the quarterfinals before losing to eventual champions, . Ukrainians also fared well in , where the brothers and have held world heavyweight championships. held the record in the from 1993 to 2014; with great strength, speed and gymnastic abilities, he was voted the world's best athlete on several occasions. is becoming popular in Ukraine. In 2011, Ukraine was granted a right to organize . Two years later the finished 6th in and qualified to for the first time in its history. participant is the strongest professional basketball club in Ukraine. Chess is a popular sport in Ukraine. is the former world champion. There are about 85 and 198 in Ukraine. Ukraine made its Olympic debut at the . So far, has been much more successful in (115 medals in five appearances) than in the . Ukraine is currently ranked 35th by number of gold medals won in the , with every country above it, except for Russia, having more appearances. Holidays Cuisine The traditional Ukrainian diet includes chicken, pork, beef, fish and mushrooms. Ukrainians also tend to eat a lot of potatoes, grains, fresh, boiled or pickled vegetables. Popular traditional dishes include (boiled dumplings with mushrooms, potatoes, sauerkraut, cottage cheese, cherries or berries), ((pancakes) with cottage cheese, poppy seeds, mushrooms, caviar or meat), (soup made with meat, potatoes, carrots, onions, cabbage, millet, tomato paste, spices and fresh herbs), (soup made of beets, cabbage and mushrooms or meat), (stuffed cabbage rolls filled with rice, carrots, onion and minced meat) and (dumplings filled with boiled potatoes and cheese or meat). Ukrainian specialties also include and . Ukrainians drink , juices, milk, buttermilk (they make cottage cheese from this), mineral water, tea and coffee, beer, wine and . |Northeast = |East = |Southeast = Novorossiya (unrecognized) |South = (Crimea) |Southwest = Meskheti |West = Morocha |Northwest = }} Category:Ukraine (Altverse) Category:Altverse Category:Countries Category:Ukraine Category:Nations Category:Regions Category:Worlds Category:Country Category:Countries on Earth